Skip to main content
  • Featured
  • Calendar
  • Film
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Dance
  • Talks
  • Poetry
  • Kids
  • Visual Art
  • Galas & Events
  • Community
  • Puppetry
  • Circus
  • Sign Up
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Cart
  • Visit
  • Programs
  • Education
  • Membership
  • Support BAM
  • About
  • Featured
  • Calendar
  • Film
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Dance
  • Talks
  • Poetry
  • Kids
  • Visual Art
  • Galas & Events
  • Community
  • Puppetry
  • Circus
  • Visit
  • Programs
  • Education
  • Membership
  • Support BAM
  • About
  • Sign Up(current)
  • My Account(current)
  • Login(current)
  • Logout(current)
  • Cart(current)
  • Film

Coming to America

Apr 9 & 10, 2026
    Part of
  • Hoyt-Schermerhorn: Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
  • and
  • BAM Film 2026
Directed by John Landis (1988)
With Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley
Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (Jones) allows the prince 40 days to roam the US, sending along faithful retainer Semmi (Hall) to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, they conceal their true identity and pass as poor foreign students working at McDowell's. Akeem finds a perfect match in the boss’s daughter, Lisa (who makes a memorable dash through the rain into the subway - with Hoyt-Schermerhorn doubling for Sutphin in Queens). Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and innumerable celebrity cameos are peppered throughout the proceedings—including the Duke Brothers from Murphy’s 1983 hit, Trading Places.

UPCOMING Screenings

      RUNNING TIME

      117min

      VENUE

      Peter Jay Sharp Building
      BAM Rose Cinemas

      FORMAT

      DCP

      TICKET INFORMATION

      General Admission: $17
      Members: $12
      Please note: A $2 handling fee per ticket will be added to your order.

      Leadership support for
      BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:

      Mellon Foundation

      Leadership support for
      BAM Access Programs provided by
      the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

      JL Greene

      Leadership support for
      BAM programming provided by:

      Howard Gilman

      Leadership support for
      BAM Film provided by
      The Thompson Family Foundation

      Major support for programs in
      the Lepercq Cinema is provided by
      The Lepercq Charitable Foundation

      RELATED CONTENT

      • Join for Discounts and Early Access - BAM Membership

      YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY

      • Film

        The Wiz

        Apr 10—12, 2026

        The Wiz

        Apr 10—12, 2026
        Michael Jackson and Diana Ross star in The Wizard of Oz offshoot that modernized and added soul to a decades-old story.
        More
        Film

        The Wiz

        Apr 10—12, 2026
        Witness The Wizard of Oz offshoot that modernized and added soul to a decades-old story.
      • Film

        The Pawnbroker

        Apr 12 & 13, 2026

        The Pawnbroker

        Apr 12 & 13, 2026
        Lumet investigates the reverberations of the Holocaust two decades later in this haunting tale of alienation.
        More
        Film

        The Pawnbroker

        Apr 12 & 13, 2026
        Lumet investigates the impact of the Holocaust in this haunting tale of alienation.
      • Film

        Nighthawks

        Apr 12—15, 2026

        Nighthawks

        Apr 12—15, 2026
        Sergeant DaSilva has to track down and neutralize two terrorist threats in this tense neo-noir.
        More
        Film

        Nighthawks

        Apr 12—15, 2026
        Sergeant DaSilva has to track down two terrorist threats in this tense neo-noir.

      SUPPORT BAM

      • BAM Membership: Sign up
        MEMBERSHIP

        BAM Membership ($100+)

        BAM Membership ($100+)

        Unlock exclusive savings on performances and films with a BAM Membership. From ticket discounts to priority access and special events, it’s your license to experience more for less.
        JOIN
        BAM Membership: Sign up
        MEMBERSHIP

        BAM Membership ($100+)

        Unlock exclusive savings on performances and films with a BAM Membership. From ticket discounts to priority access and special events, it’s your license to experience more for less.
      • SUPPORT

        BAM Patrons ($2,500+)

        BAM Patrons ($2,500+)

        Priority access to premium seats, personalized ticket services, exclusive invitations, and more.
        MORE
        SUPPORT

        BAM Patrons ($2,500+)

        Priority access to premium seats, personalized ticket services, exclusive invitations, and more.

      Follow Us

      • Open BAM on Instagram
      • Open BAM on Youtube
      • FAQ
      • Visit
      • Donate Now
      • Membership
      • Press
      • Contact Us
      • Accessibility
      • Privacy Policy

      Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
      info@BAM.org
      BAM is a 501(c)(3) | EIN 11-2201344​
      © Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc. 2026, BAM®, Brooklyn Academy of Music®, Everybooty® and Next Wave® are trademarks of Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc.